Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Food

What to serve at your next book club meet

21 recipes that are low-mess and easy-to-eat.

21 recipes that are low-mess and easy-to-eat

Jessica Thevarajah · CBC Life ·
Text to Speech Icon
Listen to this article
Estimated 2 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
left to right: 2 flatbreads topped with slices of sweet potato and fig; a bowl of sambusas; a margartia being poured into a salt-rimmed glass
(Dhivya Subramanian, DL Acken)

A good book club meeting feeds the mind — and the stomach. Along with thoughtful discussion questions and a cosy setting, good food is key to hosting the perfect night. 

When it’s your turn to host, keep two things in mind: space and crumbs. Everyone will likely bring a copy of the book, so leave room on the table. And because every book lover knows the pain of a spill or stain, stick to bite-sized snacks and low-mess desserts.

From savoury nibbles to handheld sweets (for an after-dinner event), we’ve rounded up the perfect list of book club snacks. If you want to go the extra mile, make it a themed night to match your book pick — and explore our full library of recipes for inspiration.

Broiler-popped oysters with tomato butter 

Overhead shot of oysters with tomato butter on a white surface.
(Photography by Laura Murray)

Oysters and mignonette, 2 ways

Oysters on a platter of ice next to 2 small bowls of Mignonette for dipping.
(Submitted by Chuck Hughes)

Baked shallots with brie toasts

A baking sheet with toasts topped with melted cheese and cooked shallots.
(Laura Edwards)

Sweet and spicy cashews

4 small bowls of roasted cashews with sesame seeds on them.
(Photography by Dhivya Subramanian)

Modern Provençal cheese plate 

Overhead shot of a plate with multiple types of cheese, roasted grapes, hazelnuts and apricots.
(Photography by Joanne Pai)

Cranberry chutney and brie crostini  

Top view of 12 sliced pieces of crostini, topped with cranberry chutney, brie and chopped pistachios on a circular wooden serving board.
(Photography by Dhivya Subramanian)

Ye misir sambusa

a wooden bowl of lentil samosas on a grey table.
(Photography by DL Acken)

Sweet potato and fig flatbread 

A platter with a sweet potato and fig flatbread cut into 4 slices and hands are picking up 2 of the slices.
(Photography by Dhivya Subramanian)

Empanadas

a hand holding an empanada that has just been stuffed. bowls of cheese, boiled eggs and olives sit in the background.
(Photography by Jenny Huang)

Kimchi sandwiches

closeup of a hand holding a kimchi sandwich. the person is wearing a floral sweater and a watch.
(Photography by Jenny Huang)

Guava bars

Overhead closeup of a platter of baked guava bars topped with sugar.
(Photography by Johnny Miller)

Lemon-blueberry cottage cheese loaf 

Top down shot of slices of a blueberry loaf cake on 3 plates. Hands are spreading a blueberry sauce on one of the slices.
(Dhivya Subramanian)

Strawberry cardamom yogurt cake 

A bird'seye view of a cake with strawberries on it with a large slice taken out of it. There are smaller individual plates with slices of cake on them.
(Photography by Dhivya Subramanian)

Cardamom and orange shortbreads 

Rectangular shortbreads topped with icing and orange zest on a gold cooling rack.
(Photography by Owais Rafique Marketing Inc.; styling by Matthew Chin)

Gingerbread latte cookies 

A plate stacked with brown cookies with marshmallow spread baked on top of them. It's next to a glass of milk.
(Photography by Owais Rafique Marketing Inc.; styling by Matthew Chin)

Chocolate-chai pots de crème

Top down shot of 4 clear glasses with chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
(Dhivya Subramanian)

No-bake Biscoff mini-cheesecakes

Closeup on multiple mini cheesecakes on a baking rack. They're topped with melted cookie butter, cookie crumbs and a dollop of cream.
(Dhivya Subramanian)

Flourless lemon ricotta cake with almonds 

Overhead shot of a cake topped with almond slices and drizzled with white icing. It's sitting on a white marble cutting board on a white table. 2 slices are cut from the cake and one slice is sitting on a white plate next to it.
(Photography by Michael Gozum)

Pineapple-jalapeno margarita

Pineapple-jalapeno margarita.
(Photography by Dhivya Subramanian)

Avocado kefir lassi

2 glasses of light green lassi on a marble board on top of a green checked tabletop.
(Photography by Dhivya Subramanian)

Kashmiri chai

Closeup on 3 cups of light pink tea in white cups sitting on a silver tray.
(Sonny Thakur)

Related Stories

Add some “good” to your morning and evening.

From life's little projects to its big questions; the latest in food, style, relationships, work and money, home, wellness, pets and travel delivered directly to your inbox each week.

...

The next issue of CBC Life Newsletter will soon be in your inbox.

Discover all CBC newsletters in the Subscription Centre.opens new window

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Google Terms of Service apply.